What is collected Savva Mamontov?

[SergeiSK]

Savva Mamontov was born Oct. 2, 1841 in the Siberian town Yalutorovsk a wealthy merchant family. In 1849, Mamontov family moved to Moscow, in this city and will take almost the entire life Sawa. The father of the future patron followed progressive views and gave his sons an excellent education. Sawa graduated from Moscow High School, he studied at the St. Petersburg Institute of Civil Engineers Corps, and at the Faculty of Moscow University.
Sawa childhood attracted art, which he wanted to devote their activities. But fate decreed otherwise. It is time to be determined in life and at the insistence of his father's boy went to Baku to engage in commerce. With an inborn business acumen and a particular engineering knowledge, he started a relatively new thing for Russia - the construction of railways. Savva, as he was respectfully called a merchant environment, able to quickly put together a solid capital, which he began to invest in the development of railways and in industrial production, becoming the largest shareholder in St. Petersburg and the Siberian plants.
In 1865 Savva married a representative of the famous Moscow merchant family Elizabeth Grigorievna Sapozhnikov. Wife passionately loved art and was pleased to support the artistic tastes of her husband, around which Moscow began to form an artistic circle. This mug had yet to become famous throughout Russia.
The couple settled in Moscow, Sadovaya-Spassky street, this house, though much rebuilt, is preserved, it now houses the Moscow Polygraphic Institute. Soon hospitable house Mamontov was one of the centers of cultural life. Here gathered writers, painters, sculptors, artists. Soon Savva bought a daughter of the writer Sergei Aksakov near Moscow estate "Abramtzevo", which became a mecca for the Moscow artists. Here, long lived and worked painters Valentin Serov, Mikhail Vrubel, Konstantin Korovin, brothers Vasnetsov, Ilya Repin, Isaak Levitan. Perhaps, it is difficult to find well-known figures of Russian culture, who travels to Moscow, had not gone to visit at four Mamontov.

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Savva, not only famous for its hospitality and he invested heavily in the development of Russian culture: the funded magazine "World of Art" and a newspaper, "Russia", has made a considerable sum for the construction of the Museum of Fine Arts, created and financed the Moscow Private Russian Opera.
Constant communication with the artists led to the couple were passionate collectors, good enough and money, and places for accommodation acquired. Mammoth did not follow the path Tretyakov and did not create the gallery. Most of the collected works of decorated rooms in the Moscow House and in the estate "Abramtzevo. It is worth noting that the premises themselves were decorated with great artistic taste. Ceilings individual rooms in the mansion were decorated with stained oak. Mosaic floors are specially ordered in Italy, and the furniture in Finland. Carved doors are based on sketches by famous artists. In "Abramtzevo" recreate memorial cabinet Aksakov where collected his personal belongings and manuscripts.
But the best interior decoration were paintings, many of which were donated by artists. Among them are a portrait of Vera Mamontova brush VA Serov - the famous "Girl with Peaches, donated by author Elizabeth Grigorievna. This picture is today, as in the days to its traditional place - at the Abramtsevo dining room. Objects of Russian folk art in the "Abramtzevo" There were so many that it was the time to open a small museum.
In Moscow mansion large cabinet Savva (only had two rooms) decorated with "Portrait of EA Saygina "brush IE Repin and linen AM Vasnetsov's "View of the Dnieper, as well as the marble sculpture Antokolsky" Christ before Pilate. One of the favorite paintings Mamontov "Magic Carpet" VM Vasnetsov hung in the dining room. On the stairs to greet their customers vasnetsovskie "Russian battle with the Scythians" and "Knight at the Crossroads", and Korovinskoe "The Model in the artist" and "View from the balcony in Paris." Other works, KA Korovin - "Spanish flu" and "Ships" - adorned the walls of a large hall by side with a picture of the "Congratulations" VE Makovsky, "View of Sevastopol" IS Ostroukhova, "Mistress" NA Yaroshenko. The house is decorated with majolica MA Vrubel.
It should be noted that Mamontov had accumulated a large collection of drawings and sketches by famous Russian artists, many of which were performed in "Abramtzevo" or in Moscow home. Savva himself was no stranger to creativity. In one room that served as his studio, they were executed sculpture.
Life industrialist is not always rosy. In September 1899 Mamontov was arrested for financial irregularities and placed in Taganka prison. And for all his property was seized. In the spring of 1902 to settle debts of major equipment Savva was sold out. Much of that sold out, bought the Tretyakov Gallery and the Russian museum, but part of the work came in various private collections. For example, inlaid with mother of pearl piano, which he loved to play FI Chaliapin, acquired AA Bakhrushin, the piano, and now adorns the Theatre Museum. By the way, bequest Savva after his death part Mamontov archive also got Bakhrushin.
Bankrupt Savva settled in a small house with a pottery factory in Butyrskaya outpost. Pottery at the time was organized by him in "Abramtzevo", and then moved to Moscow. It is interesting that created this art pottery was exhibited in 1900 at the World Exhibition in Paris and received a gold medal.
In this house March 24, 1918 Savva Mamontov died. He was buried in Abramtsevo at Church of the Savior.
In 1918 the manor "Abramtzevo" was a museum, which included the remnants of the surviving Mamontov collections.
Vladimir Rogoza

(on photo 2 - a guest of Savva Mamontov VA Serov, Konstantin Korovin, Ilya Repin, Vasily Surikov, M. Antokolsky.)